Welcome to UNESCO Centre, British Virgin Islands

Message from the Secretary General, Dr. Tae Sul Kim

At the advent of the twenty-first century, the United Nations recognized that within a rapidly changing context of global affairs, civil society's role, and its
interaction with the UN, had evolved considerably. Member States emphasized the importance and still untapped potential of civil society's support
for democracy and social inclusion.

The "Cardoso Panel", set up by the Secretary-General of the UN in 2002 to look at ways to capitalize on the increased interdependence between the UN and civil society,
lent new impetus to promoting international partnership with civil society. UNESCO has invested heavily in this endeavour. For many years now, UNESCO
has been systematically involving different partners in its action in order to maximize the ways it carries out its mission. The Organization's success in its priority programmes
in Education, Culture, Science, and Communication has been due, in part, to the growing role civil society plays in meeting the challenges of today's world.

Indeed, our Organization's advantage lies in its capacity to mobilize civil society to create a vast synergy of expertise and hands-on leadership.

Let us not undervalue the reach and strength of many arms over one or two. In a contemporary world that is increasingly reliant on shared knowledge and resources,
this hands-on approach is one role the UN and ordinary citizens can act upon jointly. UNESCO play a key role in fulfilling the Organization's mission. We look forward to a world where individual and group resources and expertise are not held for ourselves alone but are shared with and by all. We look forward to a time of equal opportunity and equal benefit for all. In this regard, the change that ordinary citizens can bring to the world should not be under-estimated. I call on you to give your time, your talent, your expertise and your resources to change the world in a positive way. Your actions can be more far-reaching than you dare to think.

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International Association of Universities

International Handbook of Universities

The 2011-2015 IAU Project on Higher Education for Education For All (EFA) - following on the 2008-2010 IAU Project entitled Strengthening Linkages for Improved Education: Higher Education and Research Working for EFA and education-related MDGs - has been validated by the members of the IAU 2008-...

Higher Education Policy, the Association’s quarterly research journal, has just been released. Øivind Bratberg from the University of Oslo, Norway* looks at diverging policy paths in English and Scottish policies on tuition fees, concluding that despite this divergence there is a trend towards...

Building on the lively discussion that took place during the 4th IAU Global Meeting of Associations in Delhi, India, in April, 2011, IAU invited a number of experts from around the world to take part in a discussion about the need to re-examine the concept of internationalization. Is the concept...

Message from the Secretary General, Dr. Tae Sul Kim

Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage.

What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

UNESCO's World Heritage mission is to:

Encourage countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage;

Encourage States Parties to the Convention to nominate sites within their national territory for inclusion on the World Heritage List;

Encourage States Parties to establish management plans and set up reporting systems on the state of conservation of their World Heritage sites;

Help States Parties safeguard World Heritage properties by providing technical assistance and professional training;

Provide emergency assistance for World Heritage sites in immediate danger;

Support States Parties' public awareness-building activities for World Heritage conservation;

Encourage participation of the local population in the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage;

Encourage international cooperation in the conservation of our world's cultural and natural heritage

Clubs for UNESCO: a practical guide

"This updated guide is designed for every individual with a desire to contribute to a worldwide movement. It is a basic how-to manual for setting up a Club for UNESCO.

It addresses each of us, as individuals and as groups, who wish to be part of humanity's solution and believe in a sustainable global community that can think globally and act locally.

This guide also provides basic information on UNESCO's ideals and offers general ideas on how to maximize a community's outreach capacity."